Internal-combustion engine.



O. E. SARGENT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. I, 1905.

1,061,249. Patented May 6, 1913."

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w; Masses G. E. SARGENT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.7,1fl05.

1,061,249. Patented May 6, 1913.

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enemas a. summer, or orrrcnoo, rumors, Assronon TO,SABGENT ENGINEERING corarnrm, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

acetate.

Specificatihn of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

.li pucaami filed. October 7, 1905. Serial No. 281,756.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, iii the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Eng nes, of WllICll the following is a specification.

The du'fiiculty in starting very large internal combustion engines is well known and it is now common to employ compressed air, through the agency of somewhat inconvenient apparatus, to put such engines in mo tion.

The general object of this invention is to provide means whereby the largest engine of this kind may be started as readily and certainly as a steam engine, by merely open ing and closing a small valve. With this end in view, the engine provided with admission and exhaust devices Without 110v city is also provided witlr'ii'idependent devices for admitting compressed air, said de vices being normally out of action but brought into action by the pressure of the compressed air itself when the latter is allowed to pass a certain valve, and the arrangement is such that when air is thus admitted, the admission of gas or the usual explosive mixture, is automatically, prevented as the result of well known physical principles until the air is again cut oil. The engine being thus put in motion by the air, cutting ofi" the air supply causes the immediate admission of explosive mixture, and thereafter the engine runs as an internal combustion engine until it is again shut down. In other words, if we have an engine of for example one thousand horse power, the opening of a small air valve puts the engine into action as a compressed air on gine, and when the desired speed is reached, shutting off the air automatically causes the engine to change from air to gas as an operating agent.

For the purpose of illustratingmy invention, I have chosen a double acting tandem engine having in itself no novelty herein claimed. To this has been added air admitting mechanism involving an admission valve throughwhich' air passes directly into the cylinder and .an outer valve opened and closed by hand for admitting compressed air to the admission valve and at will cutting 'it off. The admission valve, which way affected by this cam except When com pressed air is allowed to passthe buter valve; and while air is thus allowed to enter, no explosive mixture enters through the ordinary admission valve, the engine running by compressed air only.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross section through an engine cylinder, showing an admission and exhaust valve of well known construction actuated by devices without novelty. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section through certain compressed air mechanism seen also in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view looking from the right in Fig. 9. Fig. l'is a perspective view of one end of the engine shown in the other figures, the view showing one only of the cylinders of a tandem engine.

In these figures, A represents an engine cylinder supported upon a suitable base B and having the usual side shaft C carrying cams C, D, tor operating gas and air con-- trolling devices, respectively. As these devices are similar for the two ends of each cylinder, the description of one sctonly is necessary.

Fig. 1 shows an admission and exhaust valve E, operated .by a cam C upon the shaft C, adting through a roller F and piv oted lever F, the entire combination being well known and devoid of novelty, admission being by suction and exhaust by the action of the cam upon the valve operating elements.

For starting the engine, compressed air is admitted to the engine cylinder by independentdevices, air entering at G into the .space above the valve E temporarily holding the valve closed. In line with the opening G, a casing H is secured, and in this moves a horizontal differential piston valve H connected by a pitman II to a bell-crank lever H pivoted to a bracket H and carrying at its lower end a roller II to rest against the periphery of the corresponding cam D upon the side shaft C. This casing extends inward in the cavity G as a sleeve H and terminates'in a seat for a puppet valve 1 Whose stem I sliding in a bearing I, projects into the hollow iston valve H. A spring J normally holds t iis valve closed, but it is opened at intervals by two distinct means, as will beseen. A push pin, K, car-= ried by a small piston K moving trans versely in a way in the difi'erential valve, normally lies out of alinemerit with the valve stem 1 and is held out of alinement by a spring K Normally also, a spring K holds the hell-crank lever lifted so that its roller is out of the path of the cam. As seen in Fig. 4-, a valved pipe L between the air 33% mechanism {or the two ends of the samecylinder, admits compressed air to both when the valve is opened. The air enters communicating chambers M which receive air through a large inlet shown in dotted lines in, Fig. 2, and pushes the piston valve outward, overcoming the force of the spring K and causing the roller H to ride on the cam D, and at the same time enters the space below the piston K lifting the latter a and bringing the push pin int-o alinement withthe valve stem 1 This outward movement of the piston valve brings its unequal ports N into registry with the chambers M, allowing the compressed air to enter the 35 valve and the chamber in which it moves,

where it overcomes the force of the spring J and opening the valve I passes into the en gine cylinder. The timing of the cam D is such that the air is thus admit-ted just when 39 the engine piston is ready for its stroke, and

35 The expansion of the air in the cylinder carries the piston onward to the end of its stroke, and at this point'the cam still further raises the roller, so that the push pin K strikes the end of'the stem of'the valve 1,

Q9 which had closed after the air was cut ofi',

again opening it while the larger of the ports Nis in registry with exhaust ports R. This cycle of movements is repeated so .long as air is admitted to the chambers M, the

admission and exhaust being governed by the cam D and the engine working with pertect regularity as an air engine. During this working as an air engine no gas is admitted for although it would normally be admitted during the first part of alternate strokes, at such times the compressed air is entering the cylinder and no suction is possible. The cam C being all thetime in action opens the regular main exhaust at every other stroke, but this opening occurs at the same time as the exhaustthrough the ports R and consequently the only-reflect is to in part 'relievethose ports of their duty at alternate strokes.

5 W hen it is desired to change from air to gas as an operating agent, or usually as: soon as the engine has reached proper speed; rt 15 oniv necessary to close the air valveL, when the admission v lve I closes, the push pin falls out or? aiinement, and the roller H rises from the cam, the whole mechanism thus passing out of commission. same time the momentum of the moving parts, such as pertain to all engines of this class, draws in and compresses a combustible charge, and this being exploded the engine is then and thereafter acting as an internal combustion engine, until-it is again shut down.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to use in or with the kind of engine illustrated; and compressed air here represents any fluid under pressure.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine and valve mechanism for operating it in the usual manner, of anormally closed valve for admitting air to the engine cylinder, engine-actuated devices normally disconnected during the operation of the engine as an internalcombustion engine for opening said valve at intervals, an outer hand valve for admitting compressed air to the valve first mentioned, and intermediatemechanism operated by air from the hand valve to throw said devices into operat1ve connection.

2. The combination wlth an lnternal com- At the bustion engine, of a valve for admitting .mitting compressed air to said air admitting valve and cutting it ofl therefrom, normally disconnected engine actuated devices for opening the air admission valve at intervals, and means whereby air pressure may connect the disconnected dev ces.

3. In an engine of the class described having valve apparatus for-operating the engine as an explosion engine, the. combination with a normally closed valve for admitting compressed air to the engine cylinder, of anengine operated valve-actuating mechanism normally unconnected with said valve, an air operated device, normally out of operative position, for connecting said niecha nism and valve, and means for at will throwing said device into operative position.

4. In an engine of the class described hav ing valve apparatus for operating the engine as an explosion engine, the combination with a valve for admitting compressed air to the engine cylinder, a spring normally holding said valve closed during such operation, engineoperated mechanism for opening said valve at intervals but normally unconnected therewith during the opera-' tion of the engine as an explosion engine, manually controlled means for admitting cpmpresse'l air to said valve, and means whereby the admitted air connects said mechanism and valve.

' 5. In an engine of the class described having valve apparatus for operating theen.

tion with the engine cylinder and a compressed air chamber alongside the same, of a valve controlling communication between said chamber and cylinder, manually operated means for controlling the admission of compressed air to said chamber, devices adapted to control periodic admission of air to and exhaust from said chamber, engine operated mechanism for actuating said valve. and devices, and automatic means for disconnecting said mechanism when air pressure in said chamber ceases.

6. In an engine of the class described having valve apparatus for operating, the en gine as an explosion engine, the combination with the engine cylinder of a compressed air chamber, alongside the same, provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a reciprocat- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

ing valve controlling com ni a i between said cylinder and chamber, an ng operated member reciprocating in the line of the valve stem but at some distance therefrom and provided with devices controllin said inlet and exhaust ports, an air actuate device for filling the gap between the valve stem and said chamber, a spring urging said device out of operative position, and manually operated means for controlling access of compressed air to said inlet ports.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. SARGENT.

Witnesses:

HAnnm'r'r TAYLOR, W. T. ANGELL.

by addresslngthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G. 

